Wilderness Survival Course, Are They Worth It?

A friend of mine recently took a short wilderness survival course. I was both impressed and amused.

Still happy to see that my years of talk had finally paid off, but still concerned that the course wouldn’t teach her the skills she needs to really survive. I was worried it may make her overconfident when it came to preparedness and emergency training.

However, after seeing her self-esteem improve and thirst for knowledge grow after her first class I can now confidently say that basic survival courses are a great introduction into the world of wilderness survival and prepping.

Participants of a typical basic survival course may learn primitive and modern fire making, quick shelter making in the field, simple hunting and trapping methods. Also how to find and purify water, and other disaster preparedness techniques. All very useful first aid and survival skills. Moreover, participants also learn how to override their automatic fear response. Retraining their mind and flexing that emotional muscle of responsiveness and proactivity.

Letting go of the fear of doing the “wrong” thing, and letting go of our worries of survival. This can turn us into helpers in an emergency. With knowledge we’re not sidelined to a position of bystander or victim.

In my friend’s case, she was able to put her new knowledge to use quickly. A few weeks after she finished the class she was the first pedestrian responder to a car crash victim near her urban home. Using some of the skills from her training she was able to help the man move into a more comfortable position so he could breathe better while they waited for emergency services to arrive. She is thankful for her training because she knew to support his neck and spine as he moved to minimize any injuries.

Wilderness survival and other preparedness tips and techniques are not just for zombie apocalypses. They’re applicable to everyday situations like car accidents, floods, natural disasters, and other events that are far more likely to become a part of our lives. Knowing how to save a person going into shock by applying first aid techniques could very well save a life.

MacGyver-like ingenuity and quick thinking could make quick work of a sticky or dangerous situation in our day to day lives. The retraining of the mind that happiness in these courses is good for all of us, but especially so for those newly initiated into the world of prepping.

Here in Florida, we have so many opportunities for emergency treatment, including hospitals and facilities like Urgent Care South Tampa, that it can seem silly, or even nonsensical, to make an effort to learn basic first aid skills ourselves. It’s hard for some to imagine a time when emergency help will be scarce or non-existent and we will be left to our own devices. Unless you’ve lived through it, it’s hard to imagine what life is like in the aftermath of an epic disaster.

However, from my own training, and now after watching and learning of my friend’s experience, I’m now a firm believer in these simple yet impactful weekend courses and classes. They provide the basics, yes, but they also get ordinary and curious people, like my timid friend, to try new things and expand their skill set.

Knowledgeable and prepared individuals are always good for the betterment of the whole society. In an emergency, I want everyone to know how to care for both themselves and others. It’s empowering, and I want everyone to have that.